Modern working environment with 10-meter-long meeting tables made of bright white, solid surface material

The new office spaces of Hemmi Fayet Architects AG from Zurich bear a clear handwriting profile. Wide viwing angles and rough surfaces dominate. It should look somewhat "imperfect" - with the exeption of the 10-meter-long desks, whose elegant, seamless surface was fabricated using solid surface material as if it where cast in one single piece.

As an eye-catcher, there are six worktables with 10-meter long, radiant white worktops made of solid surface material. They are only 10 mm thick, so that the tables are extremely light and appear to be a filigree construction despite their dimensions. PC and notebooks can be quickly plugged in and unplugged via a milled technology channel running lengthwise in the centre of the worktable. This provides the necessary mobility towork together on projects in teams that are continuously changing. "The design of the desks reflects our working environment," explained the owner and CEO Petra Hemmi. "Instead of having to push tables together, we can literally sit together at one table and still remain flexible."

The architects deliberately chose solid surface material for the surfaces, because the long tabletops were also to have the visual appearance of being cast in one piece showing no visible joints. With this characteristic the composite material displays one of its most prevalent strengths. It can be joined with no visible gaps to form an absolutely smooth surface. "No other material could provide us with this appearance and at the same time be fabricated so thinly," explained Petra Hemmi. Since the individual sheets of material were first assembled on site to form a homogeneoustabletop, transporting the parts was significantly easier than with a massive solid slab of wood.

In addition, solid surface material is attractive to architects in daily use because of its naturally warm and pleasant velvety feel to the touch. The pore-free surface is also resistant to water and dirt, making it extremely hygienic and easy to clean. The robust material is therefore ideal for use in everyday heavily-trafficked office and working environments.